Teacher of English (possible TLR for right candidate)

A fantastic opportunity has arisen to join our hugely successful English team. We are looking for someone who is passionate about English; teaching engaging lessons which will permit students to appreciate the importance of the subject and develop the skills they need for life. There is a possible of additional responsibility (TLR) available for the right candidate.

A large and well-resourced English department situated in its own area of the school; we are proud of our departmental base where all members of the team benefit from their own classroom equipped with an interactive whiteboard. Colleagues feel supported in this setting and value the stability of this collegial and experienced team. As a school with a vibrant and growing Sixth Form, there are opportunities to teach English to all age ranges from Year 7 to Year 13. The department regularly invests in resources such as Accelerated Reader and theatre productions to enhance the English curriculum and student learning experience. The department is also fortunate enough to have an administration assistant.

Our English department is one of the strongest departments within the school and prides itself on a culture of collaboration and teamwork. All members of the English team have access to resources on the shared area and are encouraged to share good practice at departmental meetings. Student engagement in English is high and we are proud of the strong culture of achievement and curiosity we have nurtured with our students. The English department offers a range of extracurricular activities which have included theatre workshops, poetry live and exam preparation sessions and exam breakfasts. These opportunities support our students in making choices and gaining experience ready for their next steps and develop our team’s skillset.

In Years 7, 8 and 9, our English curriculum is mapped by the national curriculum and underpinned by the mastery of skills including: comprehension, analytical thinking, comparing texts, exploring contexts and understanding writers’ intentions. In GCSE English Language and Literature, students follow the AQA GCSE curriculum. Our Progress 8 scores are amongst the highest in the school and are well above the Slough and national average. We have a hugely popular Sixth Form and offer A level English Literature (OCR). Many of our students go on to continue their love of English in further education, including students achieving places at Russell Group Universities.

Our school is on the outskirts of Slough Trading Estate, one of Europe’s largest, and puts us in a unique position to be able to collaborate with several multinational companies based there. We also regularly work with companies such as Abbvie so that enrichment opportunities for students really do further add value to their learning experience at our school and develop our team’s ability to make links in learning beyond the classroom.

Continual professional development within the school and department is excellent and many of our English teachers progress, acquiring TLR roles within the department or in wider school positions. Opportunities to mentor less experienced colleagues are available for the right candidate. In addition, The Westgate School strongly encourages colleagues to participate on the NPQ scheme and collaborates with other secondary schools in Slough because our department is regularly used as a benchmark for outstanding practice.

The Westgate School is heavily oversubscribed and our Sixth Form continues to expand due to the strong reputation our school has within Berkshire and the local community. We believe that #betterneverstops and are continuing to make our school not only an ‘Outstanding’ place to learn, but an amazing place to work. 

As part of our commitment to driving positive change, we are overstaffing in each department and giving our teaching staff additional PPA to ensure that they have more time to invest in our students’ learning, are afforded the time and space to continue their professional development and maintain a healthy work/life balance. Consequently, we are looking for talented individuals to enhance the quality of education at our school. 

For further information please refer to the attached information.

We reserve the right to interview prior to the closing date if suitable applications are received. You will only be contacted if you are successful in our shortlisting process.

Previous applicants need not apply.